Phone Comparison: Nexus 6 vs LG G3

Introduction

As Steve Harvey would say on Family Feud, “We got a good one for ya today.” This comparison squares up the new Nexus 6 against the very popular LG G3 – the first worldwide device with the QHD display. Both devices are easy on the eyes and feel great in your hands – the metal frame of the Nexus 6 wraps around the glass display on one side and the flat plastic back on the other, while the LG G3 is rounded and smoothed all about with a curved metallic-like back that fits great in your hand.

Both devices have a Quad HD (QHD) display, which means a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels with 493 pixels-per-inch (PPI) on the larger 6-inch display on the Nexus 6 and 538 PPI on the 5.5-inch LG G3 display. It should be noted that the Nexus 6 display uses an AMOLED technology and the LG G3 display uses the IPS+ LCD technology…this means that the Nexus display is bright and full of colors and contrasts, while the LG G3 has a rather ‘dull’ look to it – some folks like one better than the other.

They each use a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, but the Nexus 6 uses the newest 805 model and the LG G3 uses the 801 series right before the 805 – more on that later. Both devices offer 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage – the Nexus 6 also offers a 64GB option with no room for expansion, while the LG G3 offers a microSD card for adding up to an additional 128GB of storage.

The cameras are almost identical – 13MP, Dual-LED Flash and OIS – except that the LG G3 also has Laser auto focus – certainly a big plus for quick an accurate picture taking. The front-facing cameras (FFC) are almost identical as well – the Nexus 6 has a 2MP versus the 2.1MP on the LG G3. The batteries are fairly close with a 3220mAh battery in the Nexus 6 a little better than the 3000mAh in the LG G3.

The Nexus 6 is larger in all directions as well as the heavier – 184 grams versus only 149 grams for the LG G3. They both have the usual Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 (Nexus has 4.1), NFC and microUSB 2.0 ports for charging and data transfer. Both devices are available on all major U.S. networks and both cost about the same off-contract.

Please look over the detailed specifications below and then we will look at the pros and cons of each individual device and try to determine which one of these great devices will be the winner of this comparison.

Specifications

Nexus 6

Google made the announcement on Wednesday regarding their new Nexus 6…and mouths were wide open – some with awe and some with awe crap. The new Nexus 6 is so much bigger and so much prettier and so much more powerful and comes with a much bigger price tag as well. Many were excited but left to wonder if this is really the direction they wanted Google to go…many were surprised that the Nexus 6 is a device that can go head-to-head with an iPhone 6 Plus and any other flagship on the market…but at what price. I am not talking about dollar price, but about all of the very loyal Nexus fans – content to get a good device with the newest Android OS and all for a very reasonable price – is it worth casting them aside in favor of a top-flight device that commands a pretty dollar?

The Nexus 6 carries a full 6-inch QHD display with 493 pixels-per-inch (PPI) and the best that Qualcomm can deliver…the Snapdragon 805 quad-core processor clocked at 2.7GHz. While you can get a 64GB internal storage model, there is no room for expansion of any sort – Google and Nexus want you to use the cloud for storage so you can access all of your pictures, videos and songs from any device anytime and from anywhere.

Thanks to the Nexus 6 for upping its camera from 8MP to 13MP, the cameras on the two devices are both great – the LG G3 does up the ante with a neat Laser Auto Focus system. The front-facing cameras (FFC) are nearly identical for video chatting or taking selfies. The 3220mAh battery is also a monster and with the optimization by Motorola and Android 5.0 lollipop this sucker should last all day and then some, but not to worry, as the Motorola Turbo Charger will give you up to 8 more hours of usage with only a 15-minute charge!

The Nexus 6 is rather large – it measures 159.3mm x 83mm x 10mm thick at the curve and weighs in at 184 grams. It has the usual Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1 (LG G3 has 4.0), NFC capabilities, and a microUSB port for charging and data transfer. It also adds dual front-facing stereo speakers, a metal frame that wraps around the device, and many of the Moto X software features and most of all it comes with Google’s latest OS, Android 5.0 lollipop, which adds many new features as well.

The new Nexus 6 will be available in the Google Play Store as well on all major carriers in the U.S. and will run $649 off contract for the 32GB model and $699 for the 64GB model.

LG G3

The LG G3 surprised everybody with their QHD display and beautifully rounded metallic-like device when it was released in July. It sports a 5.5-inch QHD display versus the 6-inch QHD display on the Nexus 6 – this can be a plus or a minus depending on if you want the biggest screen or prefer something smaller…although both of these are phablet sized. The LCD technology is, how can I say it, ‘duller’ is the best word to describe it – the AMOLED technology gives you the deepest blacks and therefore the most contrast, making their displays ‘pop’ out at you…again, this is a personal preference.

The Snapdragon 801 clocked at 2.5GHz is a great processor and used in the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Sony Xperia Z3…but it is not quite as good as the newer 805 used in the Nexus 6 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4. While they both have 3GB of RAM, the LG G3 does allow for up to 128GB of additional internal storage via a microSD card slot.

The camera on the LG ever so slightly trumps the Nexus 6 because of the Laser Auto Focus feature, otherwise they are identical…of course software can play a huge factor in picture quality. The battery is smaller in the LG G3 – it goes at 3000mAh versus the 3220mAh in the new Nexus 6, and with Motorola’s optimization and running pure Android, it should give tremendous battery life. As far as size goes, even with its 5.5-inch display, the LG G3 fits nicely in a smaller hand with its curved back and only 74.6mm width.

As I mentioned earlier, it has all of the usual connections, but it does add DLNA, an IR Blaster and FM Radio. It is running Android 4.4.2 with its lite Optimus UI on top and is also available on all major U.S. networks. Its off-contract price is about the same as the Nexus 6.

...And the Winner Is…

Summary

This one has to go to the new NEXUS 6 flagship device. Both devices look great…the Nexus maybe more so, and while both devices have a few similarities, only one can win this comparison. The Nexus 6 has a larger and AMOLED display (two pluses in my book), the newer Snapdragon 805 chipset, very similar photo capabilities, a larger battery, front-facing stereo speakers, metal frame and trim, nano-coating for water repellent, the Motorola Turbo Charge, the great Moto X/Google software options, and the last big reason is it is running the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system and all of the wonderful attributes it brings to the table. The LG G3 is a great device, but when stacked up against the Nexus 6, we are looking at Laser Auto Focus and the MicroSD card as its only real trump cards, and they just don’t beat the Nexus 6’s royal flush.

Please hit us up on our Google+ Page and let me know which one of these great devices you would chose as the winner of this comparison…and please tell us WHY you made your decision…as always, we would love to hear from you.